My Nonprofit Reviews

spoli13

Dreams For Kids is one of the most amazing organizations I know and am honored to be a volunteer! DFK and its founder, Tom Tuohy, have been helping the students at my school for the past 16 years, with all sorts of adapted sports, adapted water skiing and scuba diving. DFK helps build self-worth and self esteem with those individuals who need it the most! This is truly one of Chicago's finest!!

I learned about this incredible organization back in late 2003. I was amazed that they got kids with disabilities out of their wheelchairs and into such an exciting sport. I work with kids with disabilities and thought that it would be the coolest thing to get them diving. Well I did! Now 12 years later I am still getting my students involved in diving.

I believe in the mission of this organization wholeheartedly! So much so that I joined the board six years ago! Since my beginnings with Diveheart, we have grown from just serving children with disabilities, to serving adults and our nations veterans with disabilities as well!

I am a Recreation Therapist by trade, so I understand how participation in an activity can increase the self worth and self-esteem for a person with a disability. Plus, scuba diving offers a gravity-free environment that is so exhilarating for person who has a mobility impairment or paralysis. And the most exciting part is that scuba diving is the coolest thing!

The volunteers with this organization are incredibly amazing!!! They offer their time, resources, etc. and often times fund their way on trips just so our participants can experience the thrill of a lifetime. For many of our volunteers, this is more than "just helping out." It is a passion that they have to help better the lives of others!

I was fortunate to learn about Diveheart and its mission to assist kids with disabilities in the exciting sport of scuba diving more than a decade ago. Because of my background as a Recreation Therapist and my passion for assisting people with disabilities, I became involved and got my students involved in the program. More than 10 years later the Diveheart mission has grown to include not only kids, but also adults and veterans with disabilities as well. Our mission is to increase a person's self-worth and self esteem through scuba.

When was your last experience with this nonprofit?

I can't say enough good things about Tom Tuohy, the staff or volunteers at Dreams For Kids. The work, programs, and special events that they offer to so many people is immeasurable. I met Tom and DFK more than a decade ago when I got my students at ICRE involved in a weekend sports program through DFK and RIC. Since then, not only has Dreams For Kids been instrumental with assisting my students on 6 life-changing adapted scuba diving trips with Diveheart, they have also gotten some of my students to become mentors in the Dream Leaders Program. Besides all the good things that have been afforded to my students, Dreams For Kids has brought so much joy and hope to countless other kids locally, nationally and internationally, including having fundraisers to send wheelchairs to needy children in Africa. I wish nothing but the best for Tom Tuohy and Dreams For Kids as they continue to change lives...one kid at a time!

I have been working in the disability field more than 10 years and Diveheart Foundation by far has done more for people with disabilities than any other group that I know. I first met Diveheart in 2003 at a conference and was so intrigued by their zest for helping people that I brought them in to work with my students who have severe physical disabilities. Eight years later, some 30+ students served, and four life-changing SCUBA trips to the Florida Keys, Diveheart has made a tremendous impact on the lives of my students. They and I are forever grateful for the work they do and the compassion they have for working with others.

I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...

seeing the difference that it has made in the life of my students. A few of them have done a complete 180 in their view on life. They have gone from "sitting on the sidelines" to being players in the game.

If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...

N/A.

Role: Volunteer & I was trained as a certified SCUBA "buddy" to assist my students and others with disabilities while diving.